News

One of the great things about summer is being outside in the sunshine. With that comes traveling, exploring, beaches, BBQs, and swimming at the pool. No matter the activity, there is always something to love about summer. Do you find yourself to be someone who loves basking in the sun or cooling off with a drink in the breeze? This same summer love split applies when it comes to gems. So, the question becomes: Are you a lover of warm tones or cool tones? And to make it even more specific, let’s talk sapphire!   #teamwarmtones If you’re a fun-in-the-sun...

It’s a bird… It’s a plane… wait, it’s a Kite! Back in 2019, we began R&D with our cutting workshop for new styles. During this process, we started to play with the idea of cutting kite shaped gems. Fast forward to now and we offer an entire line of these gems, which we call our Kyte Cut™ Collection. The Kyte Cut™ Collection has grown beyond just standard faceted kite shaped gems. This collection also includes rose cut kites, tablet cut kites, and even a few fantasy kites. We cut these in a number of gem varieties: Amethyst, Anthill Garnet, Aquamarine,...

Columbia Gem House was founded over 45 years ago out of Washington State. As every company does over the years, much has changed, but one thing that has not is our love and wonder of all the amazing-colored gems Mother Nature gives us. We started in color, and we have always stayed in color. Different from many companies, Columbia Gem House is intrigued with every variety of natural gemstones. Ranging from Rubies to Rutilated Quartz, Sapphires to Sphene and Emeralds. Opaque gems like Jaspers and Agates, to faceted gems like Tanzanite or Tourmaline. Because we have cut all these gems for more...

We’ve officially reached summertime here in the PNW and we will be closing our office for the week of the Fourth of July, resuming regular business hours on Monday, July 11th. Historically, we have closed our office in tandem with the jewelry industry, but this year has just been a busy year! In great thanks to all of you!   We’ve had a lot of changes with the new website, new internal systems, new products and processes. So, we wanted to thank our team by giving them a chance to have a break to enjoy the week with friends and...

June is right around the corner! And did you know the birthstone for June is actually organic? It originates from the oceans, lakes, and rivers from around the world. If you guessed this birthstone to be pearls, you would be correct. Pearls have a long history in the birthstone world, and are associated in many cultures with purity, humility, and innocence. They are also used as a traditional wedding gift for brides on their special day.   Pearls are organic gems created inside either an oyster or a mussel, living in saltwater or freshwater. There are both natural and cultured...

Did you know that on the first Friday of every month we go Live to talk about Fair Trade topics? Over the course of the last year or so, our team has gone Live on Instagram to discuss topics we find particularly important when discussing Fair Trade & Responsibly Sourced colored gems. Topics discussed in this series mirror the CGH Fair Trade Gems® Pillars: Ethics, Transparency, and Fairness. This means we talk about topics anywhere from ethical decision making throughout the supply chain, to environmental impacts and how those are communicated to the market, as well as fair labor and...